Families in San Antonio\u2019s largest school districts want career and technical education programs, according to student application numbers for the upcoming 2026-27 school year.<\/p>\n
A review of the number of applications for magnets and other \u201cchoice\u201d schools in San Antonio Independent School District, North East ISD and Northside ISD show preference for trade-based and early college programs, especially those with a focus on the medical field, science, technology, engineering and math or STEM.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s a humongous shift back toward careers, back toward trades, back toward how we can accelerate the pipeline of students getting into different careers,\u201d said Phil Steinert, senior director of career technical education programs at NEISD. All but two of NEISD\u2019s 13 magnet programs fall under his purview.<\/p>\n
SAISD, NISD and NEISD, sometimes referred to as \u201cthe big three,\u201d educate more than half of the city\u2019s 350,000 students. Structured differently, all three have vast choice programs attracting students from within and outside their own boundaries.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Application numbers show that even as overall public school enrollment has dropped, demand for flexible school options that offer more than a traditional education has remained steady or appears to be increasing among San Antonio families.<\/p>\n
Where are the kids flocking to? <\/p>\n
San Antonio ISD<\/p>\n
Advanced Learning Academy is a K-12 program that offers college prep courses, uses project-based learning, social-emotional learning, and focuses on individual creativity.<\/p>\n
Burbank High School uses international baccalaureate curriculum and offers pathways in agriculture science, criminal justice and culinary arts.<\/p>\n
Twain Dual Language Academy is a pre K-8 campus bilingual program that offers student travel, gifted-and-talented services and high school credit.<\/p>\n
Northside ISD<\/p>\n
Health Careers High School offers different medical tracks and certifications like pharmacology or clinical research.<\/p>\n
Marshall Law and Medical Services High School homes three programs: medical services, law and criminal justice and legal governance and public administration. <\/p>\n
Jordan Middle School multimedia and design magnet offers courses in animation, graphic design, A\/V production and commercial photography.<\/p>\n
North East ISD<\/p>\n
Medical Professions Academy offers certification pathways for EMT, certified nurse aid, medical assistant, pharmacy technician and dental assistant.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Space and Engineering Technology Academy is a 6-12 program with four engineering pathways including aerospace and aviation technology. <\/p>\n
DATA P-TECH Early College High School is a 6-12 program with pathways in multimedia arts, digital communications, architectural design and art.<\/p>\n
Note: These are the top three programs at each school district based on preliminary application numbers for the 2026-27 school year. NEISD numbers show applications where a program is listed as the student\u2019s first-choice.<\/p>\n
Middle school magnets grow<\/p>\n
As families search for career-focused school models earlier in a student\u2019s journey, school districts are responding by expanding programs at the middle school level.\u00a0<\/p>\n
At NEISD, Steinert said 3,000 more middle school students enrolled in CTE programs during the 2025-26 school year compared to the previous cycle, even as districtwide enrollment dropped by about 1,000. <\/p>\n
STEM-focused middle school magnets have the highest waitlists at NEISD.<\/p>\n
This growth influenced NEISD officials into converting popular middle school magnets DATA Middle School,\u00a0STEM Middle School and the Space and Engineering Technologies Academy, into what\u2019s called P-TECHs or early college high schools with technology pathways and certifications.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Of those, SETA is the most popular, receiving around 450 applications for the upcoming school year.\u00a0<\/p>\n
NISD is also investing more in middle school innovation. <\/p>\n
Last year, the district launched a multimedia and design magnet at Jordan Middle School, quickly getting more applications than any other NISD middle school magnet.\u00a0<\/p>\n
As of early June, Jordan has more than 340 magnet applications, which is also more than several of the district\u2019s high school magnets.\u00a0<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/StinsonMagnetSchool_NorthsideISD_NSIDCTE_ExcerciseScienceSportsMedicine_CareerandTechnicalEducation0.jpeg\")
William Olvera, a sixth-grader entering the exercise science and sports medicine magnet school at Northside ISD, raises his hand to ask industry experts a question about the career path during a summer camp on June 4, 2026. Credit: Amber Esparza \/ San Antonio Report<\/p>\n
Ruel-Schaefer said San Antonio is no \u201cmultimedia mecca,\u201d but most employers have a need for media and design professionals, so the sooner students get exposed to niche careers, the better.<\/p>\n
In that spirit, NISD launched a sports medicine magnet<\/a> at Stinson Middle School for the upcoming 2026-27 cycle that already has about 140 students. <\/p>\n Demand grows for credentials, college credit<\/p>\n At the high school level, medical magnets are usually the most popular.\u00a0<\/p>\n NEISD\u2019s Medical Professionals Academy is often listed as a student\u2019s first choice on magnet applications, already receiving over 640 first-choice applications for the upcoming school year. The program offers certification pathways for EMTs, certified nurse aids, medical assistants, pharmacy technicians and dental assistants.\u00a0<\/p>\n It\u2019s one of three CTE-focused academies housed at the district\u2019s Career and Technical Education Center, which includes a Transportation Technology Academy and a Construction Technology Academy. <\/p>\n Students in these academies split their days between a home campus and the center, which makes running the programs more efficient for NEISD and gives students the option to experience a more traditional version of school, Steinert said.\u00a0<\/p>\n NISD\u2019s most popular high school magnet has been growing in popularity even more in recent years. Health Careers High School received over 500 applications for the upcoming school year, compared to 440 last year and 425 before that.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n HCHS students take principles of health science along with core classes, later focusing on different medical tracks like pharmacology or clinical research. <\/p>\n Interest in health-related careers among young students matches industry demand, said Ruel-Schaefer. <\/p>\n \u201cI can\u2019t look at a workforce labor market report without seeing [healthcare] in the top 10 to 25 of in-demand careers,\u201d she said. \u201cSo the fact that our students are very interested in pursuing healthcare is exciting, because we\u2019ll be able to really work with our partners to create a pipeline.\u201d<\/p>\n While SAISD has several health magnets across its high schools, the most popular program by application numbers is consistently Advanced Learning Academy, a K-12 program that uses project-based learning, social-emotional learning, and focuses on individual creativity.\u00a0<\/p>\n A consistently A-rated campus by the state, ALA\u00a0 gets around 1,000 applications every school year.\u00a0<\/p>\n SAISD\u2019s dual language academies and other comprehensive high schools are also well-liked, offering college credit and industry-based credentials in fields like welding, cosmetology, agricultural science and construction. They usually get between 300-500 applications every year.\u00a0<\/p>\n Where are magnet students coming from? <\/p>\n While magnet programs are open-enrollment, few students actually come from outside of the district.<\/p>\n School districts tend to promote magnets within their own communities, often relying on word of mouth and recruiting from their own elementary and middle schools.\u00a0<\/p>\n At NEISD, most magnet applicants are already enrolled in the district, said Steinert, and newcomers tend to be homeschoolers or charter schoolers.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s mostly a return back home,\u201d he said.\u00a0<\/p>\n In hopes of boosting enrollment, NEISD recently dropped the boundary on all campuses, magnet or not, to students outside of the district.\u00a0<\/p>\n NISD did the same thing last year, getting 853 applications for the inaugural 2025-26 year and 406 for the upcoming cycle as of early June.\u00a0<\/p>\n SAISD is familiar with the open-enrollment game. The district dropped its boundaries more than a decade ago, making it a leader in school choice.\u00a0<\/p>\n Last year, about 7,000 of SAISD\u2019s 44,000 students came from outside the district. In addition to having magnets and longtime open boundaries, SAISD has several in-district charters and leads the state in 1882 partnerships<\/a>, which grant outside groups control of a district school to implement their own education model.<\/p>\n Increased competition<\/p>\n The 2025-26 school year marked the first non-pandemic enrollment drop in decades. A report from the policy research group Texas 2036 found that roughly 76,000 fewer students enrolled in public school statewide.<\/p>\n San Antonio\u2019s many school districts were no exception \u2014 most have seen enrollment decline in the thousands, faulting a combination of increased immigration enforcement under the Trump Administration, lower birth rates and the expansion of charter schools.\u00a0<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/BonnieArbittier_marshall_high_school_magnet_program_LMS_law_medical_studies_open_house_11-4-2019-13..jpeg\")
Billy Solis, Marshall Law and Medical Services Magnet High School EMT teacher (left), leads a demonstration at an open house for the magnet school in 2019. Credit: Bonnie Arbittier \/ San Antonio Report<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Cosmetology_SamHoustonHighSchool_HurricaneSalon_SAISD_02_10.20.2025_AmberEsparza.jpg\")
SAISD seniors Jareth Rodriguez and Khyola Harris work on hair curling techniques with rollers and a mannequin during salon practicum hours at the Sam Houston Hurricane Salon on Oct. 24, 2025. Credit: Amber Esparza \/ San Antonio Report<\/p>\n